It's October, so it's time for spooky games. Phantasmagoria is a point and click horror adventure game by Sierra. It was controversial due to its depiction of graphic FMV gore and adult themes and became a best seller. But is it any good?

I remember seeing the box art for this game all the time when I was a kid. Though point and click adventure was a staple of my gaming history, I had never played this game before. I've always had a soft spot for FMV as well, though this wasn't quite what I was expecting.

I was always a little curious about this game because of the cheese factor, but the pre-knowledge of the rape scene as well as the overwhelmingly negative reaction to it from friends made me actively avoid it. Glad to see that my efforts have not been in vain.

I would like to refute this, but I can't. I try to stand up for the OFLC/CB because it does a few things right, but unfortunately it has a habit of going full retard. Like classifying Mei Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth as child pornography.

It seems that Phantasmagoria was originally banned in some states not others, but it seems that it was banned nation-wide sometime post-launch. I got to play a friend's copy so I didn't realise it had been banned here.

Great review! This was more informative than anything else I've ever read about the game. I never played it back when it came out, but it seems to have a lot similarities to another FMV game around the same time, The 7th Guest. I loved 7th Guest even though it too was very slow and obtuse in its gameplay and puzzles. It seems like Phantasmagoria has aged just as poorly as that game, but I feel like had I played it back then it would've blown me away in much the same way 7th Guest did. I'm still tossing around the idea of playing this. I know it was great tech-wise for the time and the horror elements were pretty striking back then, but I think now it's probably better as a museum piece for the games industry.

@zophar53:IMHO the 7th Guest is a much better-playing game with puzzles that held the test of time, where this one wasn't much fun for me even when it came out (and I've always been a point-n-click fan.). Personal preference, to be sure, but T7G's eclectic nature is purposeful and successful, and Phantasmagoria's is more technical and awkward.

I think it is an interesting footnote in gaming development, and the biggest appeal likely comes from b-movie horror buffs who enjoy such material for what it is.

@Raidou: Australia seems much harsher than most places about game content. I find it interesting that even things that are drug-related (like the chems in Fallout) were considered problematic.

@zophar53: Thanks! I'd watch a quick playthrough of it if anything, the gameplay doesn't really add much to it and it's the cheesy FMV that's the biggest draw (for me). I never played 7th Guest, but it's one I've wanted to play.

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